"Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
Luke 18:38
There is so much to unpack in this reading today (Luke 18:35-43), but what struck me, especially, was the vulnerability of the blind man shouting out to Jesus. As one who only likes to stand out for positive reasons, I shudder at the idea of shouting out and embarrassing myself. Especially after those in the crowd try to hush the man. My mother raised me to be a lady and that means don't create a ruckus (don't you love that word, "ruckus?") But here this guy is, shouting to be heard above the hushing of the crowd, and then, he asks Jesus to have pity on him! Another vulnerability. Who wants to be pitied? Pray-As-You-Go talks about how pity, in itself, is humiliating. Who wants that? But there are good lessons to be learned from this blind fellow. First, persistence, rising above the shushing to make our needs or frustrations known. Second, not being so proud that we can't ask for what we need. Pride is a sin, blindness is not, the guy got it right. And finally, after he was healed and he was able to see, he gave the glory to God and followed Jesus. After we experience the presence of Jesus in our lives (and we should if we are paying attention!) we give God the credit and follow Jesus in everything we do. Every opportunity we have through our days to serve God's people by visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, you know the drill. Today, as we begin our week of thanksgiving, let's throw off our pride, roll up our sleeves and participate as fully as we can in the presence of Jesus, who is right here, right now. Love, heidi
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